Robert Duffer – Page 18

Five worst new car features reinvent the wheel for no reason

August 18, 2019 at 4:11 p.m.

The state of the auto industry is one of opposites. There are sport utility vehicles with more horsepower than sports cars, and pickup trucks equipped like luxury flagships. Americans hold...

Chicago vehicle charging infrastructure boosted by VW settlement

August 21, 2019 at 10:58 p.m.

A surge in electric vehicle charging is coming to Chicago thanks to the record settlement in the Volkswagen diesel emissions cheating scandal. Chicago ranks third (behind New York City and...

The refreshed 2018 Toyota Sienna now has standard automatic emergency braking and a lane departure system that steers the van back into its lane.

Mighty muscle cars and crazy crossovers headline New York auto show

May 23, 2019 at 10:29 a.m.

Automakers rolled out everything from high-performance muscle cars to redesigned best-sellers and all-new plug-in vehicles at the last lap of the major auto show circuit in New York. The 2017...

The MX-5 Miata, the world's best-selling roadster, evolves into a sexy fastback capable of fun without the sun in the Mazda MX-5 Miata RF. Pictured March 23, 2017, at Morton Arboretum in Lisle.

Sexiest Miata is more than just a seasonal convertible

June 1, 2019 at 1:59 a.m.

Forty-six degrees is not convertible weather. Unless the sun is out in March in Chicago. Such a bright appearance after such a gray season provokes people to wear shorts, drink...

The redesigned 2018 Chevrolet Equinox compact crossover is unveiled at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry on the autumnal equinox, Sept. 22, 2016.

Buick launches a wagon, calls it a crossover

August 18, 2019 at 4:11 p.m.

Buick continues to update its image with the launch of a new wagon. Based on the Opel Insignia Sports Tourer sold in Europe, the 2018 Regal TourX looks like a...

The 2017 Audi R8 Spyder has a 5.2-liter V-10 engine that hits 62 mph in 3.6 seconds, according to Car and Driver.

Evoque crossover convertible built to go anywhere, except my driveway

June 1, 2019 at 1:59 a.m.

Ugly can be alluring. Pugs. Clogs. Tom Petty. But ugly is in the eye of the beholder. The Range Rover Evoque convertible, with its sterile white body, bricklike lower half,...

The 2017 Chevy Colorado midsize pickup short box with four-wheel drive in WT trim is pictured March 14, 2017, in spring storms on East Wacker Drive in Chicago.

Pickup or crossover? Chevy Colorado makes a case as family vehicle

August 18, 2019 at 4:10 p.m.

My friend wanted a pickup truck. He travels during the week for his white-collar job, and on weekends helps out with house projects in the neighborhood. A married father of...

The 2017 Lincoln Continental flagship sedan marks the return of an important Lincoln model, one built for comfort more than speed but capable of both.

Lincoln-loving dad, skeptical son square off over 2017 Continental

June 1, 2019 at 1:59 a.m.

Sometimes, father knows best. This reluctant admission comes after a week with the 2017 Lincoln Continental, the first Lincoln in my adult lifetime that did not make my father's unwavering...

Best new car features are new takes on old ideas

June 1, 2019 at 1:59 a.m.

Coffee cups, Midwestern values, action heroes — Americans love to hold on to things. We especially like holding on to our cars. Despite record new car sales in 2015 and...

The 2017 Nissan Pathfinder three-row SUV in Platinum in Sandstone looks great against Lake Michigan, but not so much elsewhere.

Refreshed 2017 Nissan Pathfinder is not quite the one

August 18, 2019 at 4:08 p.m.

Testing a new car for a week is a lot like dating — exciting and different but without all the emotional vulnerability and wretched insecurity. The brief courtship with the...

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